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08-29-2016, 03:15 PM
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#1
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Skoolie
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 115
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Adding Solar to Shorty .
We been studying solar for several years now. Much to learn when you new to it. Anyway we purchased some of what we need and keep finding out more as we go. Just figured I would start a thread about solar as we hook it up and see if anyone else is.
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08-29-2016, 03:25 PM
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#2
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Skoolie
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 115
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Mods please move this thread if I put in wrong place. I just noticed a forum about solar after I posted this. Let me know. Thanks.
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08-29-2016, 05:59 PM
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#3
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Kent, WA (Seattle)
Posts: 414
Year: 1987
Engine: 6.9L Diesel
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There's a wonderful thread for everything you need to know at
https://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/...ging-puzzle-2/
I'm a month to 3 from getting solar in my bus so I encourage you to check in with me around the end of the year .
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08-29-2016, 06:25 PM
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#4
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Skoolie
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 115
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Thanks TAOLIK ,I will check the site you gave me. And will check back with you later to see how yours went .
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08-29-2016, 07:45 PM
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#5
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Vermont
Posts: 152
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Turtle Top
Chassis: E-Super Duty
Engine: Ford 7.3 Powerstroke
Rated Cap: 13-passenger
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It's a tough read to get through because Handy Bob is very longwinded and particularly enjoys typing about his pet peeves. That being said, it's an incredible resource for any 12V wiring, and especially for solar.
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08-29-2016, 08:48 PM
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#6
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Skoolie
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 115
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You right sproutroot, I been reading HandyBob's site for the last two hours and it is quite interesting read and very informative too. I am going 12 volt too , so it helps me a lot with all the studying we have done to get it right the first time.
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08-31-2016, 10:43 AM
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#7
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Skoolie
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 115
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Guess the Mods are o k with my thread here. So if it is , I will continue my updates here. I am clearing stuff out now with the wife, to make plans where everything will work best. Reading what I was told on Bob's site, you should never have charge controller and batteries in same box together because of heat. But you should keep them close to prevent resistance dew to lose of your amps. I will have to extend the the battery box for my 6 t-105 trojan golf batteries. And make separate departments for charge controller and inverter.
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08-31-2016, 10:50 AM
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#8
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 1,358
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Crown, integral. (With 2kW of tiltable solar)
Chassis: Crown Supercoach II (rear engine)
Engine: Detroit 6V92TAC, DDEC 2, Jake brake, Allison HT740
Rated Cap: 37,400 lbs GVWR
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I suggest you spend time reading all you can on the Northern Arizona Wind & Sun forum - there's a lot of wisdom and knowledge there that could possibly save you a lot of grief and money. That's essentially where I've learnt what to do for my bus's 2kW solar system.
John
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08-31-2016, 01:34 PM
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#9
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Skoolie
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 115
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Iceni John
I suggest you spend time reading all you can on the Northern Arizona Wind & Sun forum - there's a lot of wisdom and knowledge there that could possibly save you a lot of grief and money. That's essentially where I've learnt what to do for my bus's 2kW solar system.
John
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Thanks Iceni, I will go there too and read all I can. Your solar is 2ooo watt? I 'm starting with 400 watt first and see how it goes. And yes , all the greif I can miss is fine with me. Ps its funny how you brought that site up, because I just received my Trimetric monitor and shunt,and cable from N.A.W.S. today. lol
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08-31-2016, 04:38 PM
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#10
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 1,358
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Crown, integral. (With 2kW of tiltable solar)
Chassis: Crown Supercoach II (rear engine)
Engine: Detroit 6V92TAC, DDEC 2, Jake brake, Allison HT740
Rated Cap: 37,400 lbs GVWR
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Yup, eight Sharp 255W panels in two separate tiltable arrays, each array feeding its own Morningstar TS-MPPT-60 charge controller that will charge its own bank of four golfcart batteries. Essentially it's two separate systems running in parallel, with their outputs combined through two 250A Schottky diodes to a common 12V load center.
John
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08-31-2016, 07:04 PM
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#11
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Kent, WA (Seattle)
Posts: 414
Year: 1987
Engine: 6.9L Diesel
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Quote:
Originally Posted by International
Reading what I was told on Bob's site, you should never have charge controller and batteries in same box together because of heat.
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I believe the bigger issue is corrosive (and explosive) gasses leaving the battery while charging, not so much heat. But yes separate compartments for sure. Best of luck!
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08-31-2016, 08:53 PM
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#12
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Farmington Hills, Mi (Detroit area)
Posts: 1,968
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Eldorado Aerotech 24'
Chassis: Ford E-450 Cutaway Bus
Engine: 7.3L Powerstroke
Rated Cap: 19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TAOLIK
I believe the bigger issue is corrosive (and explosive) gasses leaving the battery while charging, not so much heat. But yes separate compartments for sure. Best of luck!
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Yup. Sulfuric acid fumes will eat your electronics in a hurry.
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09-01-2016, 11:18 AM
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#13
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: SW New Hampshire
Posts: 1,334
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Iceni John
Yup, eight Sharp 255W panels in two separate tiltable arrays, each array feeding its own Morningstar TS-MPPT-60 charge controller that will charge its own bank of four golfcart batteries. Essentially it's two separate systems running in parallel, with their outputs combined through two 250A Schottky diodes to a common 12V load center.
John
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Any idea what the bias voltage /fwd voltage drop is on those Schottkys? Do they conduct at .7V fwd? And, are they gonna get hot while passing a kilowatt through them?
Sorry for geeking out; I return the horizontal and vertical controls.
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09-01-2016, 11:36 AM
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#14
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Skoolie
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 115
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Iceni John
Yup, eight Sharp 255W panels in two separate tiltable arrays, each array feeding its own Morningstar TS-MPPT-60 charge controller that will charge its own bank of four golfcart batteries. Essentially it's two separate systems running in parallel, with their outputs combined through two 250A Schottky diodes to a common 12V load center.
John
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That sounds amazing to me .Super Power.lol I will be small powered compared to you.
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09-01-2016, 11:38 AM
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#15
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Skoolie
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 115
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TAOLIK
I believe the bigger issue is corrosive (and explosive) gasses leaving the battery while charging, not so much heat. But yes separate compartments for sure. Best of luck!
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Thanks and I agree totally .
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09-01-2016, 02:34 PM
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#16
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Skoolie
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 115
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We watched these two kids or young people do their RV, very interesting.
Gone With The Wynns, NOT Gone With The Wind, . Cute tilte,imo.
We learned alot from them and HandyBob and a few others on youtube and of course last but not least 'Skoolie.Net'.
. Wife of International[ what a long name,huh?].
https://youtu.be/Nq5Wz57zdeI
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09-01-2016, 03:00 PM
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#17
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 1,358
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Crown, integral. (With 2kW of tiltable solar)
Chassis: Crown Supercoach II (rear engine)
Engine: Detroit 6V92TAC, DDEC 2, Jake brake, Allison HT740
Rated Cap: 37,400 lbs GVWR
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dan-fox
Any idea what the bias voltage /fwd voltage drop is on those Schottkys? Do they conduct at .7V fwd? And, are they gonna get hot while passing a kilowatt through them?
Sorry for geeking out; I return the horizontal and vertical controls.
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The diodes are Cole-Hersee brand, designed for use in ambulances and emergency vehicles. Their heatsinks are smaller than those in typical 250A silicon diodes, so I assume they are more efficient and produce less heat. Even when running my 120V air compressor off the Magnum inverter, I could not feel any appreciable warmth on their fins. I was told that Schottky diodes have only about a quarter-volt loss, compared with several times more for regular diodes - does that sound right? In practice their voltage loss really doesn't matter because I'm only using them as check valves to prevent one battery bank back-feeding into the other, not as part of a charging system where voltage loss is more critical. If they knock a small amount of voltage off my DC load center's voltage, it may actually prolong the life of lamps etc that run off that power!
John
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09-02-2016, 12:42 PM
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#18
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Skoolie
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 115
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Still deciding on battery boxes and how to set them up.
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09-06-2016, 10:05 PM
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#19
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New Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 3
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Is four batteries the correct amount for so many solar panels???
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09-07-2016, 01:49 AM
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#20
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Skoolie
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Oregon
Posts: 157
Year: 1984
Coachwork: International Harvester
Chassis: S1700
Engine: 6.9l IDI
Rated Cap: 27 (adults)
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That's gonna be one bad mammajamma of a solar power setup. All roof mounted? Does anybody use a setup that is removable? I like to park in the shade, for example and it could be nice to have a "remote" bank of panels that could be positioned for the best sun without having to park in it..:
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